Courageous choices

The Hunt for the Kraken

Kathryn Butler
Crossway, 224 pages

Parents who were tweens in the 1980s and ’90s may remember the Choose Your Own Adventure series that offered dozens of possible endings based on choices made throughout the plot. Author Kathryn Butler’s new Lamplight Series follows a similar model, but integrates Scripture and godly wisdom to help tweens ponder the effects of their decisions while reassuring them that God is always with them. Butler immerses the reader in her story as the protagonist who has inadvertently time-traveled and landed aboard an 18th-century whaleship. The ship’s crazed sea captain puts the crew and the reader in grave danger as he hunts for the elusive kraken, a squid-like sea monster. Children will likely want to reread the book so they can make different choices that lead to new outcomes. Ages 8–12

Small Wonder

Ross Montgomery
Candlewick, 224 pages

When the Kingdom of Ellia falls under attack from enemy invaders, Tick knows he has no choice but to embark on a dangerous journey with his younger brother Leaf to reach safety at the King’s Keep. Atop his trusty horse Pebble, Tick takes to heart his late-grandfather’s instructions, reminding himself that, “If you only have one chance, Small Wonder, you have to make it count.” Along the way, the orphaned boys encounter bandits, knights, and avalanches, and they must outsmart an assassin hot on their heels. Formulated like a classic fairy tale adventure, Small Wonder offers themes of self-sacrifice, courage, and love. The conclusion includes a small plot twist, giving the story a satisfying ending. Note: Some of the villains partake in drinking, and a soldier uses the Lord’s name in vain. Ages 9–12

Herman Bavinck

Simonetta Carr
Reformed Fellowship, 64 pages

This 25th book in the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series introduces children to Herman Bavinck, an influential theologian from the Netherlands who served as a pastor, professor, writer, and Dutch Parliament member. A contemporary of Abraham Kuyper as well as Nietzsche, Bavinck sought to accurately apply the Bible to all of life while thoughtfully engaging with those who held different opinions. Bavinck’s story, Carr writes, is especially timely for children growing up in a “highly polarized society, where cultivating wisdom and treating others with respect and humility are becoming rare virtues.” Bavinck’s life can serve as an apt example to help families respond biblically and to remember, “A lot can be done with patience and love.” Ages 7–12

Time for Courage

Rob Currie
Tyndale kids, 336 pages

In this sequel to Hunger Winter, it is the end of 1944, and 13-year-old Dirk Ingelse and his family are working with the Dutch Resistance to hide Jewish children from the Nazis. The family’s decision to take in a young Jewish boy soon draws the Nazis’ attention, but the Ingelses’ commitment to the cause gives them courage during the ensuing trials. Compared to similar historical fiction, the story suffers at times from unnatural scenarios and dialogue. In one example, a Gestapo officer is bent on revenge after a Jewish woman refuses to marry him. Since the Nuremberg Laws made such liaisons illegal, this plot point would have been extremely unlikely, making it feel inauthentic. Nevertheless, the story offers a solid message about how God is always working even amid hard things. Ages 10–14